The Fair-Faced Lion was a renowned wandering hero throughout the Sichuan and Hubei regions. Though slender and frail in appearance, he possessed extraordinary strength and was said to be capable of lifting a thousand jin. His complexion was fair, and the contours of his face resembled those of a lion. At first glance, however, he looked more like a delicate scholar than a formidable fighter, which earned him the nickname “Fair-Faced Lion.”
A stranger asks for a ride
The Wuxia Gorge near Badong was steep and treacherous, its narrow path twisting through rugged terrain. Travelers taking a shortcut from Wuhan into Sichuan had to pass through the gorge. Bandits frequented the area, and some even operated inns as traps for unsuspecting travelers.
One day, a one-wheeled cart was making its way along the mountain path. One man pulled it from behind with a rope while another guided it by the handles. A simple covered sedan had been mounted on the cart. Inside sat a young scholar and his attendant, with a large bundle of silver at their feet.
After they had traveled some distance, the cart stopped. Looking outside, the scholar saw a slight, fair-faced young man pleading with the drivers to let him ride with them. He was so delicate in appearance that he could almost have been mistaken for a young woman.
The drivers refused.
The scholar looked at the desolate mountains around them and thought of the wild animals that roamed the area. How could such a frail-looking young man safely travel the mountain road alone?
He asked the drivers to let the stranger aboard. The shifty-eyed men were reluctant, but they could hardly refuse their passenger’s request.
The stranger sprang lightly onto the cart and bowed to the scholar. After exchanging a few words, he asked where the scholar was going.
“I am from Sichuan,” the scholar said. “My father serves as an official in Jiangnan. After studying diligently for ten years, I wanted to go to the capital to pursue an official career. But my father insisted that I first return to Sichuan to marry.”
“Jiangnan is famous for its beautiful women,” the stranger said. “Why not find a suitable wife there?”
“I already had someone I cared for in Jiangnan,” the scholar replied. “But I could not disobey my father, so I agreed to return home.”
The stranger glanced at the bundle near his feet.
“Why would you carry so much silver through such a dangerous place?”
“When I finally agreed to do as my father wished, he was delighted,” the scholar said. “He gave me all his savings to pay for the marriage.”
The stranger shook his head.
“Then he has inadvertently put you in danger.”
The scholar realized there was more behind those words.
Leaning close, the stranger whispered: “These two cart drivers are bandits from Badong. They have seen how much silver you are carrying and intend to kill you for it. After another three stops, we will reach a particularly isolated stretch of road. That is where they plan to strike.”
The scholar immediately grew frightened.
The stranger smiled.
“Don’t worry. As long as I am here, two or three petty bandits are no more dangerous than a mantis trying to stop a cart.”
The scholar studied him doubtfully. The man looked as though he could barely defend himself. Could he really protect anyone else?
The renowned Fair-Faced Lion
The scholar did not know that his delicate-looking companion was the famous Fair-Faced Lion.
Known for robbing the rich to help the poor, he was admired for both his courage and his sense of justice. He never killed without cause, and people throughout the wandering martial world held him in great respect.
After the cart passed the third stop, the sun went down. Remembering the stranger’s warning, the scholar became increasingly nervous.
“If they make their move tonight, do nothing,” the Fair-Faced Lion told him. “Leave them to me.”
The scholar remained afraid, but the other man’s calm manner gave him some reassurance.
Around midnight, the Fair-Faced Lion heard the drivers whispering outside. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.
Before long, three dark figures crept toward the sedan. One was the driver who had been pulling the rope, while the other two followed with knives in their hands. The drivers, it turned out, had arranged for an accomplice to meet them along the road.
The first man lifted the curtain and raised his knife to strike the sleeping traveler.
A scream shattered the silence.
The scholar assumed the Fair-Faced Lion had been hit, but when he looked more closely, he saw that the bandit’s knife had been kicked from his hand.
The Fair-Faced Lion seized two wooden pillows from inside the sedan and hurled them at the other attackers, knocking both men to the ground.
The bandits quickly recovered, and two of them charged again with their knives raised.
The Fair-Faced Lion spun aside and stood calmly before them.
“You petty bandits dare plot against the Fair-Faced Lion?” he said. “You truly have no idea whom you are dealing with.”
The driver whose knife had been kicked away tried to attack him with a concealed weapon. The Fair-Faced Lion caught it in midair and immediately sent it flying back at him. The bandit collapsed to the ground.
Only then did the attackers realize the identity of the man they had tried to rob.
An act of righteousness
At the name “Fair-Faced Lion,” all three bandits dropped to the ground and kowtowed.
“We have long heard of your great reputation,” they pleaded. “Forgive us for failing to recognize you. Please spare our lives. We will never dare rob anyone again.”
“I had intended to kill all three of you,” the Fair-Faced Lion said. “But since you have repented so quickly, I will spare you. From now on, you must never harm innocent people or prey upon the weak.”
Then he ordered them to get up.
“Go buy some wine for this young gentleman and help calm his nerves.”
The bandit struck by the concealed weapon was still unable to stand, so the other two hurried off to obey.
The scholar was overwhelmed by what he had seen. He thanked the Fair-Faced Lion repeatedly and offered to repay him for saving his life.
The Fair-Faced Lion laughed.
“A man of honor acts when he sees what is right. Why would he ask for anything in return?”
Before long, the two bandits returned with wine and food. The Fair-Faced Lion took a small piece of silver from his pocket and tossed it to them.
They were too frightened to accept it.
“I do not take advantage of others,” he told them. “I only hope you will abandon your wrongdoing and follow the right path. Your companion was merely struck in the waist. Put some medicine on the wound and help him walk a little, and he will recover.”
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the Fair-Faced Lion summoned the three bandits.
“You will escort this young gentleman safely back to his hometown,” he said. “Then bring me a letter from him confirming that he arrived safely. Otherwise, do not expect me to spare you a second time.”
The three men hurriedly agreed.
The Fair-Faced Lion then turned to the scholar.
“The road ahead should now be safe. I have other business to attend to, so I will not accompany you any farther. Until we meet again.”
With that, he bounded away.
The three bandits carefully helped the scholar back onto the cart and continued down the road, now serving as his protectors rather than his attackers.
Translated by Eva
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